Heart To Heart
by maxbyfive
Summary: Logan talks to Max. Missing scene from Freak Nation. ML, clearly.


author's notes: figured that this was long enough to qualify as a short story, so rather than posting it as part of "things we never thought we could be", i decided to give it its own story. missing scene in freak nation, taking place somewhere between after clemente left and the last scene of the series. hope you like it. :)

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_I'm so glad I found you_

_I'm not gonna lose you_

_Whatever it takes to stay here with you_

_Take it to the good times, see it through the bad times_

_Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do_

_Let them say we're crazy, what do they know?_

_Put your hand in my hand, baby, don't ever let go_

_Let the world around us just fall apart_

_Baby, we can make it if we're heart to heart_

- Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, The Starting Line (and someone from the 80's, but i can't remember her name)

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To say the atmosphere was tense at Terminal City would have been the understatement of the century. They'd been working around the clock to get things set up for everyone - beds, food, medical and cleaning supplies, clean drinking water. It seemed like as soon as they obtained one supply, they were running out of another.

Max sighed as she looked out the window of her bunkroom at the transgenics and humans outside, placing her head in her hands, wondering how it had all come to this, to _her_ as the C.O., the one in charge, the one responsible for so many lives. She'd never asked for this, never wanted this. All she'd ever wanted was a normal life, and as it was now, hers was as far from normal as one could possibly get.

Removing her face from her hands, she looked out at the night. Too much was running through her head and she needed to calm down, to focus on what she was gonna do next.

A knock at the door brought her out of her reverie. "It's open," she called to whoever was on the other side, and her voice surprised her - it was tired and flat. Drained of energy and emotion.

She didn't turn to see who it was until she heard his voice. "Hey."

Max got up, backing away from Logan as he moved closer to her, reaching a hand out for her shoulder. "Hey."

Sensing her uneasiness, he backed off, but held out his hands for her to see. They were covered with latex, similar to the way they had been while he was examining the runes on her back. "It's all right. I came prepared."

"You shouldn't have come at all," she snapped, her voice surprising her once again. The words sounded so harsh, and she didn't want to speak that way to him, even when he wouldn't do the smart thing and stay the hell away from her when she would only get him killed. She looked at the ground.

When she looked back up, his eyes were still focused on her, not hurt, but understanding. The way they always were, the way he always was.

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, still making sure she was standing a safe distance away from him.

"I just...You shouldn't feel obligated to stay here, Logan. This isn't your fight. I'll understand if you wanna leave."

"I don't back down from a fight, he responded, his voice hard, not angry, but determined, nearly a growl. He stepped closer to her, nearly backing her against the window. "And that isn't why you don't want me here."

She couldn't help it - her eyes filled with tears. She spun around quickly to stare out the window again, looking up at the moon. Trying, as she had so many times before, to find the answers in the night sky.

"Max," he said, and he reached out a hand to place on her shoulder, a touch she recoiled from. "Max."

"What?" Her tone was flat again. Emotionless.

"With all that's going on, we shouldn't be keeping things from each other. There's more important things to worry about right now."

She blinked, slowly, in realization. She wanted to, but didn't, turn to face him.

"You know."

"Yeah."

She still wouldn't turn around.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought you needed some time to think things through." She could sense him moving closer, now only inches from her back. She didn't move away, partly because she was afraid of her hair accidentally brushing his cheek if she turned, and partly because of a reason she didn't understand. "And to be honest, so did I."

She continued staring out the window. "What did you figure out?"

"That you're worth all the trouble."

That made her turn around, she almost whipped around, but remembered her hair. Her eyebrows were drawn up, her face questioning, as if she wasn't sure how to take that. He smiled slightly at her.

"I knew from the moment we met that you were going to be a dangerous person to know. Knowing that has never stopped me before and it's not gonna stop me now. I've always been here, and I always _will_ be here." He reached out, taking her gloved hand in his gloved hand. "Even through this," he continued, and she knew he was talking about more than just the virus. "You've always been worth it."

She smiled then, for the first time in what felt like days, maybe even weeks. It was faint, and slightly sad, but it was there and it was genuine. And his was there too.

They stood there for a while, holding one another's hand, not saying anything else, feeling like they should, but also knowing that there wasn't much left that they needed to say.

Except for one thing.

"I'm sorry."

"I know. It's okay."

They moved so that they could both look out the window, glad to have the peace and ease between them back.

They hoped that the residents of Terminal City could have the same kind of peace someday.


End file.
